Combat Sambo vs Sport Sambo — Same Game, Different Rules

5 minutes (single period); OT period: 2 minutes if score tied

Two 4-minute periods (single 5-minute period for some events); Active wrestling required; passivity penalized

Sambo jacket + shorts (red or blue per competitor) — same as Sport Sambo; Sambovki (sambo wrestling shoes) — mandatory; Open-face protective helmet — mandatory in Combat Sambo (chin guard, padded crown, open visor)

A distinct, separately classified division — SAMBO for the Blind and Visually Impaired — carries its own mandatory headgear specification; see Section 4 for the classification and equipment requirements that apply to that division only.

FIAS-spec mat: 11m × 11m total, 9m central circle (same as Sport Sambo); Padded safety zone; Multiple parallel mats at major championships

FIAS-spec mat: 11m × 11m total, with central 9m circle competition area; Padded outer safety zone; Mat colored to distinguish competition area from safety zone

Two competitors per match; Weight classes (Adult Male, kg): -58, -64, -71, -79, -88, -98, +98; Combat Sambo introduced women's divisions in 2017

The FIAS Regulations on SAMBO Referees were likewise amended by the Executive Committee on March 31, 2026. FIAS describes the round as intended to unify officiating practices across FIAS-sanctioned events; mat referees, corner judges, and the scor...

5 minutes (single period); OT period: 2 minutes if score tied; Closed-fist punches (to head + body)

The Executive Committee's March 31, 2026 amendment round did not change throw, groundwork, submission, or total-victory scoring for Sport Sambo.

Decision priority: KO/TKO/submission > technical superiority > points > last-scoring competitor; Tournament: single-elimination + repechage; Gold/Silver/two Bronze per weight + gender

Decision priority: total victory > technical superiority > points > last-scoring competitor; Tournament: single-elimination + repechage for bronze; Gold/Silver/two Bronze per weight + age + gender

Illegal strikes: head-stomps, back-of-head, spine, eye-poke, throat — caution → DQ; Strikes to grounded opponent's head: generally restricted (specific rule varies by edition); Passivity: warning → caution → opponent advantage

The FIAS Disciplinary Code was amended by the Executive Committee on March 31, 2026 to strengthen ethical standards and accountability. It applies alongside the in-competition penalties above, cove...

Combat Sambo has substantially higher injury risk than Sport Sambo due to permitted strikes. Mandatory equipment (helmet, gloves, mouthguard, shin guards, groin protector) is non-negotiable.

For SAMBO for the Blind and Visually Impaired, the FIAS-specification helmet required of SVI1 competitors (Section 4) is itself a safety measure, designed to protect the head and eye area of an athlete who cannot visually anticipate an incoming th...